Let me explain. I recently shared with a dear friend that every time my accountant mentions the word “liquid assets”, my STEM-brain immediately thinks of a Chemistry lab. As an accountant himself, we both had a good chuckle about it. (STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). But it really goes toContinue reading “Liquid Assets? States of Matter?”
Author Archives: Words by Simone
Systems at Work
Making Connections I’ve always viewed the world through the lens of connection. How does this storage tank connect to rest of the plant? How does the electrical wiring connect to the pump to turn it on? How does the final product connect to the truck for shipment? And my favorite, how does process safety connectContinue reading “Systems at Work”
It’s the little things
DCS (Distributed Computer System) Manufacturing plants use computer systems called a DCS, which stands for Distributed Computer System. The DCS is the “brain” behind the process. The DCS gathers inputs from automated equipment in the plant. Transmitters An automated equipment has a small sensor or transmitter that sends signals back to the DCS continuously. EquipmentContinue reading “It’s the little things”
“The Only Constant in Life is Change”
This famous quote from Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, rings true today. Every day ends with a sunset. Depending on where you live, it can be breathtaking. The sun eventually hides behind the mountains for the evening. In some places, the sun dips into the water until the next morning. Do you remember the last time youContinue reading ““The Only Constant in Life is Change””
Fluff and Reverse Osmosis
How is water used at a manufacturing facility? You might be surprised to learn just how much water is consumed at a manufacturing facility. From diluting raw materials to cooling down reactors, water is critical to the successful operation of the facility. There are many ways in which water is used including: Diluting incoming rawContinue reading “Fluff and Reverse Osmosis”
Effective Documentation: From Noise to a Symphony
From Noise to a Symphony In an earlier post The story in your code, I introduced the concept of noise when it comes to data. Essentially, data without context is just noise. I wanted to go into a bit more detail of what that means with an example using a batch manufacturing process. Continuous vs BatchContinue reading “Effective Documentation: From Noise to a Symphony”
The power of tin foil and the written word
Maintaining target operating conditions In the manufacturing industry, process safety is paramount. And by process safety, I mean the safety of the equipment used in your process. Process equipment is designed to operate at a target set of operating conditions. Sometimes, however, the process can deviate outside of those limits and create major headaches forContinue reading “The power of tin foil and the written word”
The story in your code
From Excel to SQL My most memorable encounter with coding was SQL. It was a proprietary SQL coding program used by Aspen Tech. Aspen Tech provides a suite of process trending and modeling tools for the manufacturing industries. SQL completely revamped my troubleshooting strategy. Before SQL, I would pull all the data, dump it intoContinue reading “The story in your code”
FDA, EPA, OSHA, MOC, CC, PSM, SOP … HUH?
Operating guidelines for the manufacturing industries Every manufacturing industry has a certain set of guidelines under which it must operate. For some, that may mean strict document control, for others it may mean proper waste containment strategies. Either way, there are several agencies that regulate manufacturing industries. The ultimate goal is to protect the patientContinue reading “FDA, EPA, OSHA, MOC, CC, PSM, SOP … HUH?”
Pictures tell a thousand words … but sometimes you still need to write it down
What does “normal” look like when it comes to process equipment? Troubleshooting process equipment has been the hallmark of my career when I worked as a Process Engineer. I’ve always thought that before you can identify a problem with the equipment, you need to know what “normal” looks like. What is the normal pump output?Continue reading “Pictures tell a thousand words … but sometimes you still need to write it down”
Words by Simone 